The United Tasmania Group (UTG) is generally acknowledged as the world's first Green Party. It was formed in March 1971 in response to the flooding of Lake Pedder.
The party was formed during a meeting of the Lake Pedder Action Group (LPAG) at the Hobart town hall, in order to field political candidates in the April 1972 state election where they received 3.9% of the statewide vote.
They also contested the 1976 election, this time receiving 2.2% of the votes.
The UTG lasted for five years, and was briefly reformed in 1990 for the federal election.
Most of the original candidates, including Bob Brown went on to form the Tasmanian Greens, who enjoyed considerably more success.
It has since been eclipsed at a national level by the Australian Greens and now officially exists only as a post box.
External links
History of Green Politics in Tasmania (http://www.globalgreens.info/literature/dann/chapterfive.html)
The UTG 'New Ethic' Charter (http://www.global.greens.org.au/charter/UTGnewethic.html)
Tasmania was once inhabited only by an indigenous population, the Tasmanian Aborigines, and evidence indicates their presence in the territory, later to become an island, at least 35,000 years ago (rising sea levels cut Tasmania off from mainland Australia about 10,000 years ago).
Tasmania is a rugged island of temperate climate, and was considered so similar in some ways to pre-industrial England that it was referred to by some English colonists as 'a Southern England'.
Tasmania's rail network consists of narrow gauge lines to all four major population centres and to mining or forestry operations on the west coast and north-west.
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